Six Degrees of Separation
by TedandVic4ever
Summary: Teddy thought that he was only suffering from a broken heart after their separation, but it was so much more than that. As he begins to bring up his past, he is reminded of the times spent with Victoire. Will he be able to surpass all six degrees and realize in time?


Prologue-

He sat on the couch, his eyes dead as they stared into the void. The hard-hitting rain drops were nothing but white noise to his ears. It had been raining that day as well. He'd been silent; there were no tears from him when it ended. It was the right thing to do; they wanted different things at this point in their lives. And even though she still loved him and he with her, Teddy thought it was best to end it now before it was too late and one of them ended up hurting the other even more.

Despite the silence he exhibited during her plead to keep it going, he was screaming inside. But he would have been better, if it hadn't been for the look on her face when she looked at him for one last time. Her pearly blue orbs felt as if they saw into his very soul and was determined to break him down. And just for a second, he thought he might lose it but his stance was strong. She turned her face, a golden curtain of hair shrouding her beautiful face as she walked away. His heart cried to see her face one last time but his brain didn't allow his arm to reach forward to stop her.

This is how Teddy Lupin, 22, had spent the last two weeks. He sat on his couch, brokenhearted and all he could think of was that scene that just didn't want to leave him alone. He was sure he was going to be haunted of this for the rest of his life.

* * *

1 Year Later-

Teddy sat with his head on one of his hands as his back slouched toward the desk. His other hand occupied with a quill as he effortlessly glided across the parchment like he had done this a thousand times before. The truth was, he had been doing this for a long time. It was only six but Teddy felt so drained that it might as well have been midnight. Only a few more and he would be able to sneak into the kitchens for his dinner. He wasn't about to join the rest of the staff in fear of having to deal with the noisy students at dinner. Besides, what's the point of knowing all, well most, of the secret passages in Hogwarts if one wasn't going to use it?

At the age of 23, Teddy was one of the youngest professors to have ever taught at Hogwarts. He had excelled in potions during his days at school, which his Grams often teased that it was because of his Slytherin heritage. For one reason or another, the notorious house was known to produce many of the Wizarding World's most acclaimed potioneers. Teddy was a Hufflepuff himself, but that didn't stop him from excelling in the subject.

Just as Teddy reached for the next parchment that was filled with information about unicorn blood, there was a knock on the door. _Damn, so much for a quiet night. _Teddy knew that part of his job was a professor was to answer any questions or concerns the students might have after class. And any other day, Teddy would have been up for it, but not today.

He watched as the second hand completed its revolution, the minute hand landing on six. It was six-thirty. Almost as if he was living it all over it again, he stared emptily at the wall, his stomach felt as if a black hole was pulling his body from the inside out. Another knock came from behind the door and he was force to face reality. Teddy cleared his throat and set his papers aside. "Come in."

From behind the door, a sliver of blonde hair could be seen. And just for a second, Teddy's heart sped up before he realized he was only dreaming. The little girl opened the door slowly, almost scared that she didn't have the right to be there. When she saw Teddy, she straightened up and put on a hesitant smile.

"Hello Hayley, what can I do for you?" Teddy asked with the most welcoming tone he could manage. He sensed that she was a bit hesitant to enter; first years always tended to have the most farfetched imaginations about their professors. Just the other day, he over heard a group of them gossiping about the oddest rumor. "_I heard Professor Spencer is actually a giant in disguise waiting to eat us all." _Teddy had a good laugh when he heard that and even told his colleague about it.

"Um, h-hi Professor Lupin. I was just wondering if you had any more Valerian sprigs. I think I lost mine and I need it for the potion we need to make," she said, her voice gradually getting quieter.

Teddy smiled and stood up to walk to his ingredients cabinet. After a few minutes of searching, Teddy scratched his head. He could have sworn he had an excess of them left but he could have forgotten to restock them. "I'm sorry Hayley, but it looks like I've forgotten to restock them." The girl's face fell at this.

"Oh no, don't worry Hayley, there are loads in Hagrid's garden. I'm sure he wouldn't mind giving some to us," Teddy smiled.

* * *

Teddy yawned as he trekked through the field between the castle and Hagrid's hut. A chilling breeze brushed past him causing him to pull his cloak closer to his body. Without much time at all, he had reached the hut. He heard Talon barking immediately from behind the door and the coughing that came with Hagrid yelling at the dog at barking for no reason. Teddy chuckled before he knocked the door.

"Well hello there Ted, what are yer doing here this late?" Hagrid asked but not without inviting Teddy in first. Teddy rubbed his hands together, embracing the warmth that the hut provided.

He petted Talon as the giant dog continued to slobber over his leg. "Needed some valerian, hope you don't mind Hagrid."

"Course not, take what yer need," Hagrid boomed as he placed a cup of tea in front of Teddy. Always one for hospitality, Hagrid was, even when Teddy was still a student. Of course, after his first visit, he had learned to refuse the baked goods Hagrid tended to offer with tea. Although, his stomach would have like some food as he had planned to eat dinner before, he told himself he would regret it later if he had one of Hagrid's food.

"So how yer liking teaching Ted?" Hagrid asked as he sat down across the table.

"Great," Teddy answered, "tiring," he thought again with a smile.

Hagrid chuckled and patted his back, which felt more like getting the wind knocked out of him. "Now yer know how hard it was having ta teach the bunch of ya," Hagrid replied.

"But can be quite rewarding," Hagrid continued. "Yer know, it seemed like just yesterday that yer were in me class. Remember that time when those blasted skrewts went sick on ya?"

Hagrid gave a hearty laugh when Teddy shook his head, "Don't remind me. It was impossible to get off my robe, Grams had to send a new one." Teddy suddenly stopped abruptly as Hagrid dragged on. There was another person in this _humorous _story, but he was in no mood to relive it today.

"And then Vic tried ta give yer her spare robe. Yer whole face turned red when she asked ya in front of everyone in the Great Hall," Hagrid chuckled, missing that Teddy was no longer laughing with him.

_It was during Teddy's third year, the first time he had to take Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid. He and his friends had just heard the lecture from Hagrid about approaching a blast-end skrewt and how to interact with one. Of course, Mark had been goofing off which had distracted Teddy. So when they were asked to get closer to the creatures, Teddy had done so incorrectly. Mark ended up getting out of the way but he wasn't so lucky. The end result was his clothes reeking in skrewt vomit. _

_His efforts in cleaning up were a waste. It was not coming off. Teddy sighed as he reached for his parchment. He was going to have to tell his Grams and she was surely going to send a howler. This was his fourth robe in three years; she'd been hoping that he could keep a robe in tact for at least one year. Although, for the most part it wasn't his that he grew so fast. _

_The biggest surprise however, came when he entered the Great Hall for dinner that day. He was still irritated at Mark for distracting him, all the while anxious of what his Grams would say in her next letter. He had expected to be teased by his friends but what he didn't expect was Victoire offering him her spare robe. _

"_You can have my spare Teddy. Maman always makes me carry more clothes than I need," Victoire offered with a smile._

_Teddy stared blankly at Victoire before an eruption of laughter came from behind. His friends had thought it was funny that Victoire thought Teddy could wear her clothes. Teddy's face turned red, as did his hair, which caused even more laughter. Teddy puffed his chest up, "I can't wear that, those are girly clothes," Teddy replied airily._

_Victoire huffed, "Well it's better than smelling like a troll boogie." With that, she turned back around but not before stomping on his foot. Teddy felt his ego deflate as this caused even more laughter from his friends. _

"_Aw mate, that one is going to be sassy," Mark added. _

"_Shut up," Teddy muttered as he covered his head. _

_That was the moment Teddy learned to never get Victoire angry. She might look innocent but she had a sharp mouth and that veela blood. Oh don't even get him started with the veela blood. No, all Teddy needed to know was to never anger Victoire._

"How is Vic by the way?" Hagrid finally asked.

Teddy shut his eyes, willfully holding himself up. He took a deep breath before answering. "She's good, I think," there was silence.

"Listen Hagrid, it's getting late and I need to be heading back to the castle. Do you mind if I go and pick some valerian from your garden?" Teddy asked.

Hagrid finally sensing Teddy's discomfort, encouraged Teddy to get what he needed and bid him goodnight. Teddy was thankful that he was able to leave the hut without anymore questions about Victoire but the damage was already done. She was once again in his head, and on the same fateful day that she had left his life, one year ago.

* * *

2 Years Later-

"Teddy dear, what took you so long?" Ginny Potter asked as she bustled toward him from the kitchen to give him the honorary Weasley/Potter hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Teddy chuckled, "There was a hold up, student lost his frog and wouldn't board the train."

Ginny shook her head before rushing back to the kitchen when the kettle began whistling. "Everyone, Teddy's here!" After about a second, the whole brood came rushing through the arc way to greet him.

After all the hugs and kisses were exchanged, Teddy finally managed to sit down on his favorite lounge chair growing up. They were at the Potter's this year for their annual Christmas celebration. Even though Molly had always preferred them to spend it at the Burrow, one could see that age was taking a toll on the older woman and even the once energetic Molly Weasley was getting tired. So now, every year, each of the families took turns holding the party at their house.

Teddy had only sat for a minute before Dominique joined him. He smiled at her as she sat but soon frowned when he noticed her over compensating her smile; Dominique was never one to be this cheery. "Wotcher Dom?" Teddy asked.

"Me? Oh good, great! What about you?" she asked, crossing her legs nervously. Teddy raised his eyebrow at the sight of her sitting so lady like. She seemed to notice this as well and made a disgusted face before uncrossing her legs and sitting more relaxed on the couch.

"Where's Nick?" Teddy asked, trying to form a conversation with an obviously nervous Dominique. Nick was Dominique's fiancé. He hadn't seen Nick yet today so he thought it was plausible for him to ask.

"Nick had to go home to visit his family this year. But he'll be here tomorrow," Dominique answer, seemingly less nervous about the subject. Dominique had met Nick when she was traveling in Italy, which is where he was from.

"Teddy, there's something I have to tell you," Dom started, looking around the room as if to make sure no one was listening.

But, she didn't speak. Teddy laughed nervously, "What is it Dom?" _Whatever she had to say couldn't be that bad right? _

Again he waited for her to speak and again she was silent. "Um, the thing is Teddy…" she started but was interrupted by a loud holler from the other room. Teddy stood up to have a better look at what had the whole room in a spectacle, ignoring the subtle "Crap!" that left Dominique's mouth at the same time.

But the moment Teddy walked closer to the door, he saw why the whole family was so excited, or rather, whom they were fawning over. He quickly turned to face Dominique once again who threw him a pity smile, confirming that this was what she wanted to tell him.

As Teddy turned to face the gathering again, he felt his heart speed up at her golden laugh as her cousins embraced her. Louis had picked her while he hugged her as she ruffled his hair. Then came her parents who rushed up to her and hugged her as if their life depended on it, well mostly Fleur. But as she reached to hug her father, Teddy met her eyes and she with his. And just for that moment, he felt as if they were the only ones in the room. He felt the back of his neck sweat as his reached to grab it with his hand.

Teddy stood awkwardly behind everyone else as Dominique rushed past him to hug her sister as well but not before giving Teddy a pat on his back. He could see that she was trying to look away as well. His brain told him to move, to get out of the room because he swore it felt like he was suffocating, but he was rooted to the floor. His eyes wandered over her from head to toe; she was still as beautiful as he remembered.

After a few minutes, it would seem that Dominique had shot silent stares at everyone in the room to give them some alone time. Everyone obliged, some reluctant like James who wanted to see the whole thing _blow up-_ twenty years old and the kid still acted like twelve sometimes.

"Hey," Teddy started; he couldn't bear to stay silent with her.

"Hey," she whispered in reply. "You look good," she added.

He felt his stomach turn into knots as the words left her mouth, "You look good too," he said.

"Pretty weird right?" Victoire said as she walked closer to him. He held his breath as she moved closer until he could almost touch her. But at the last moment, she moved to the left, pass him to where the coat stand was. Teddy allowed himself to breathe her in from the scent that trailed her.

He was so entranced that he almost didn't catch what she had said. "Are you going to close the door?" she asked.

Teddy turned to face her, "Huh?"

Victoire chuckled as she shook her head. She walked past him once again, this time closing the front door that had been left open when she walked in and had been forgotten about when everyone ambushed her. "A lot on your mind?" she asked almost jokingly as if none of this affected her as much as it affected him at this moment.

But Teddy decided to play along; he had no right to demand that kind of sensitivity from her. "Yeah, I swear being a professor is wearing down my attention span," he chuckled. She smiled but didn't say much more as she motioned toward the living as if silently asking if he was going to stand there all day.

* * *

Dinner wasn't exactly awkward but Teddy could feel everyone trying to avoid the elephant in the room. They were polite with each other; merely exchanging a few pleasantries while both of them spent most of the night talking to the rest of the family. But Teddy was observant and saw that Victoire had seem a little upset as she talked to Dominique. He on the other hand was absentmindedly listening to James and Fred argue over their favorite quidditch teams…once again.

He didn't need to hear what they had been talking about; he knew it was about him. Especially after she excused herself during the middle of dinner and went upstairs saying that she was tired from her trip. It didn't take a genius to notice that Victoire was as surprised to see him as he was to see her. The question is why. It's not that Teddy was upset to see her, in fact, quite the opposite. He hadn't felt this excited for over three years. But why did Victoire suddenly show up when she obviously didn't feel comfortable enough to.

After dinner, they were full and sleepy. Everyone scattered around the house, curling up to their loved ones or playing a few games. He, however, was joined by Dominique once again. "Are you going to tell me what's going on Dom?" Teddy asked exhaustedly.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. But um, actually, I'm getting married in two days. That's why Nick is in Italy; he's bringing his family over. And I wanted Vic to be here for my wedding," she started.

"What?" Teddy asked in a surprised tone. A few of her family looked at the two of them but went back to what they were doing when nothing happened.

Dominique gave a shy smile. "But I thought you guys were getting married later next year," Teddy said in a lower voice.

"Well, actually…we were until we found out I was pregnant," Dominique whispered.

"WHAT?" Teddy asked again. This time however, everyone looked at the two of them.

Dominique stared at Teddy with a killing look. She obviously hadn't told anyone yet, which endeared Teddy to know that she decided to tell him first, well after her sister of course. Teddy mouthed a "sorry" to her as he waited for everyone to return to their activities.

"Congrats Dom," Teddy said as he hugged her.

"Thanks Teddy," she replied. They were silent for a moment before Dominique spoke again. "I know it's hard but I just really needed my sister to be here," she said before getting up to leave.

Teddy nodded in understanding, he couldn't blame her for wanting her older sister to be here for the wedding. But for some reason, he felt his body sink. He knew it was stupid to think that she came back for him, but there was just that sliver of hope.

The next day was a hectic one. The moment Dominique dropped the bomb to the whole family that she was moving her wedding up to just two day, everyone was frantic. Teddy could have sworn that Fleur had blown a casket when she heard of her daughter's impromptu decision. But Dominique paid no attention to them and just winked at Teddy before taking off with Nick to go upstairs.

Just as Dominique left to go upstairs, Victoire came down. Her tank top clung to her svelte body, her boy shorts just below the acceptable length that would no doubt make Teddy's mind run wild, and her hair just thrown into a messy bun. She let out a soft yawn, which immediately caught Fleur's attention.

"Victoire, did you know about your sister's plan?" Fleur asked.

Victoire looked confused for a moment before her eyes met his. Teddy silently shook his head at her; he hoped she got his message. She looked at him weirdly before it seemed to click for her. "Non Maman, what plan?" she asked almost too innocently.

Fleur huffed and shook her head, it seemed like she had caught on but decided that getting ready was more important than berating her daughters for springing this on her the last minute. She pushed some of Victoire's hair back and kissed her before telling her to get ready. Teddy watched as Fleur ascended the stairs, no doubt to hunt Dominique down for an explanation. Victoire watched her mother leave before she turned to face him. She smiled at him before giving a shrugged.

* * *

He and Victoire had managed to escape the rest of the family while out shopping for some formal attire. "I take it that Dominique told you everything?" Victoire asked.

Teddy nodded but remained silent. "You can never expect anything from that one," she teased of her sister.

They kept walking in silence until she walked up to the ice cream shop. Victoire suddenly stopped as she looked into the shop. Teddy didn't know what to do or what to think.

_The ice cream shop had been their first date. It was during his last year at Hogwarts that he realized he was in love with his best friend. He had spent the whole year trying to convince himself that he was ill for thinking about her in that way and that she would never return his feelings. And after a bunch of misunderstandings along the way, he had finally gathered up the courage to ask her out during the summer. Or more like, she had just said "yes."_

"_Vic, will you…?" Teddy asked nervously while they sat at their favorite spot of the beach near her house._

"_Yes," she answered._

_Teddy furrowed his brow; he hadn't even asked the question. "Um, what did you say?"_

_She suddenly turned and kissed him sweetly on the lips, "Does that answer your question?"_

_Teddy smirked, "Do you always have to beat me to the punch?" _

"_Took you long enough," she laughed before she was suddenly cut off when Teddy leaned in and grabbed her face. His lips met hers, this time lasting for longer than a second. He felt his senses black out and his world spin; everything felt right._

_When they finally pulled apart to catch their breath, Victoire stared at him with the most intense eyes, "But well worth the wait," she said breathily. _

_After at least an hour of not being able to keep their hands off of each other, Victoire finally voiced her concerns. "I don't think we should tell anyone yet," she suggested. "I mean, you're going to be here working while I have to go back to school in September. It's already going to be hard, I don't want to have to deal with my parents on top of it."_

_Teddy sighed but agreed to keep it a secret if that's what she wanted. "Fine, but only if you go on a date with me right now," he smiled._

_It turned out that finding a place that wasn't so public was harder than they thought; they had family working everywhere. Teddy suddenly remembered the ice cream shop in Diagon Alley. It wasn't exactly private but there were a few tables that were practically blind spots. And if they were to be seen, no one would think much of it, they were regulars._

"_Sorry we couldn't find something more…elegant for our first date," Teddy joked._

"_It's perfect," Victoire smiled as she held his hand. _

"Feels like it was just yesterday," Victoire whispered, pulling Teddy back to reality.

"What?" Teddy asked, scattered.

Victoire chuckled, "I'm starting to think that short attention span wasn't a joke."

They stood silently facing each other but not quite looking at each other. "Listen Vic," Teddy started but was cut off.

"We should get back, there's still a lot to do," Victoire interrupted.

"Yeah," Teddy said as he reached the back of his neck. "Yeah, you're right, we should get back."

When they got back to the rest of the family, Victoire was silent when Dominique had asked where she wondered off. Teddy had conveniently excused himself to join the rest of the men next door who were sitting on the benches, waiting to be fitted.

* * *

Teddy sat on the second row of chairs as he watched Victoire walk up to the altar first. She stood there along with Dominique's best friend Liza who was also a bridesmaid. He saw that Nick was up there as well, looking nervous but happy nonetheless. When everyone was situated, the music began and everyone stood up. Dominique made her grand entrance with Bill holding her arm. In typical Dominique fashion, she opted to wear trainers instead of the high heels that had been picked out for her, not that she needed the height. Which was obviously news to her mother as she stared heatedly at Dominique's footwear. But that all dissipated when Bill finally handed her hand over to Nick and joined his wife in the front row.

As the vows started, all Teddy could do was stare at Victoire. Her look was simple but Teddy thought she looked exceptional. She must have felt his eyes on her because she was trying her hardest to look anywhere but in his direction.

"Do you Dominique Renee Weasley take Nicolai Gabriel Moretti to be your lawful wedded husband?

"I do," Dominique answered.

"Do you Nicolai Gabriel Moretti take Dominique Renee Weasley to be your lawful wedded wife?"

"I do" Nick answered without hesitation.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, bound by this vow," the wizard said as he performed a magical bond between the two of them.

"You may kiss the bride," he said once he was done.

Everyone cheered as the groom kissed the bride. Teddy could see Victoire trying to hold back her tears for her sister while their mother was already in tears.

When everyone had entered the tent that was put up for the wedding, Teddy bumped into Victoire. "Great wedding," he said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, it was beautiful," Victoire replied politely but Teddy could see how emotional she was so he decided to cut their conversation short.

"Save me a dance?" he asked.

She nodded, "Sure." He had expected this almost rhetorical response but he desperately hoped that she would.

By the time it was the first dance, Fleur had managed to convince Dominique to somehow trade her trainers for some heels so that she would at least have some pictures where she was fully dressed for the part. As soon as it was acceptable for the crowd to join in, everyone with a partner stepped onto the dance floor.

It as no surprise to Teddy that Victoire got asked to dance the moment everyone started dancing. And he knew he shouldn't but it bothered him to no end that another man was dancing with her. He wanted to wipe that smug smile off of the bloke's face. Teddy sighed, but he had given up that right a long time ago. Instead, he drank, starting with the glass in front of him.

After what seemed to be his fifth glass, the alcohol began having an affect on him. He stumbled onto the dance floor where Victoire was with the bloke. Teddy cut in abruptly, without asked the man. He vaguely heard of his protests but Victoire must have silently apologized to him and he left the two of them alone.

"Having too much fun are we?" Victoire chuckled at him.

Teddy smiled, "Not as much as you."

The song finally came to an end but only because the emcee had announced that a slow song was coming and for everyone to grab a partner. "Um, I'm a bit tired of dancing now," Victoire started.

Teddy grabbed her arm, "Dance with me?"

Victoire chuckled nervously and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "I just did Teddy."

But Teddy didn't budge. "You said you would save a dance," he whispered in an almost begging way.

He noticed that she had closed her eyes when he leaned in to whisper his last line. After what seemed to be an inner battle with herself, she smiled, "One dance."

Teddy nodded and smiled before holding out his hand for her to take. As soon as she grabbed his hand, they seemed to naturally fit together. His other hand dropped down to her waist while her hand rested on his shoulder. As the song progressed, Teddy felt himself leaning closer and closer to her. And he wasn't sure if it was just the alcohol, but she was closer as well, resting her head on his chest.

"Remember our first dance?" he asked. She didn't answer but he could feel her smile on his chest.

_Teddy, why don't you go dance with Vic," Hermione had suggested. It was his godparents' wedding and he was the ring bearer while Victoire was the flower girl. Ron had been ordered to watch over Teddy and was doing splendidly until the food came. At first Teddy was starving and was satisfied with digging in but his small stomach was soon full. But not Uncle Ron. Teddy asked Ron to play with him but the man was so busy stuffing his face that Teddy didn't think he had heard him. _

"_Ronald!" Hermione had scolded when she noticed Ron was paying more attention to his food than Teddy._

_Ron gave an apologizing look to Teddy, "Sorry mate." _

"_It's okay Uncle Ron," Teddy said._

_Hermione knelt down to his eye level, "Why don't you go dance with Vic?" Teddy turned his head to face the little blonde girl who was sitting with her mother. _

"_I can't dance with a girl, especially not Vic," Teddy said._

"_Why not?" Hermione asked curiously._

"_Because she's my friend," he replied easily. Hermione continued to look at him, confused at his answer._

"_Friends don't dance with friends. Married people do," Teddy answered. _

_At this, Hermione let out a soft chuckle. "Oh Teddy honey, you can dance with anyone you want, even your friend."_

"_Oh," Teddy voiced, feeling a bit silly._

"_Do you want me to go with you to ask her?" she asked. Teddy shrugged but got off his chair to show that he didn't mind._

"_Ermione! Ginny looks magnifique, non?" Fleur exclaimed when she saw her sister in law. Hermione nodded before bending down to whisper something into Fleur's ear. Teddy paid no attention to what they said but for some reason, after Hermione told Fleur whatever it was that she said, both women left._

_Teddy waited for a second for Victoire to notice him but she was busy looking for her mother. "Um, do you want to dance with me Vic?" he asked._

_Victoire smiled at first but hesitated, looking at him worriedly. She motioned for him to come closer. Teddy was annoyed that she hadn't said anything; he didn't want to be rejected. It was all Hermione's fault. Actually, come to think of it, it was all Ron's fault for not playing with him. But when she spoke, he almost laughed._

_When Victoire looked at him confused, it was his turn to whisper, "It's alright, friends can dance with each other." Victoire smiled brightly before getting off the chair to dance with him. Granted, it wasn't the most correct way of dancing but it was good enough to attract everyone's attention, even Harry and Ginny who laughed as they watched the two children dance together._

As the song reached it climax, Teddy dared to test his boundaries. The alcohol had made him lose his strength. He moved in close to her face, "I've missed you," he whispered and before she had the chance to respond, he closed the remaining space between their lips. He felt her surprise and for a moment, he felt her resolve disappear but only for a moment. Victoire abruptly pushed him away before she covered her mouth with her fingers.

"I'm sorry Vic," Teddy said, realizing what he had done. But all Victoire could do was shake her head before leaving him alone on the dance floor. And just like that, she was gone again.

* * *

3 Years Later-

Teddy wandered down Hogsmeade on Saturday while most students were too busy studying for their finals to come out. It was a rare sight for the town to look as empty as it did on a weekend but all the more better for him. Although he liked teaching, he was no Merlin, and even he needed a break sometimes.

He walked past a several couples snogging and none of them really affected him until he passed the alleyway behind the Three Broomsticks and saw a blonde girl kissing a tall boy.

"_Teddy!" Victoire exclaimed when she saw him waiting at Hogsmeade for her. They hadn't seen each other since the 1__st__ of September although they had been writing nonstop. But the real thing couldn't compare to the endless hours of writing; Victoire immediately jumped into Teddy's arms and kissed him. _

_They had decided to spend some time with her friends for a drink before they left to be alone. After about half an hour of gossip, Teddy couldn't stand it any longer. "Excuse me ladies, but I'm going to have to steal her away from you guys," Teddy said. But he could also see the relief in Victoire's eyes as he said this._

_The moment they left the pub, Teddy pulled Victoire into alley. "I think you own me, I just save you from an afternoon of annoying gossip," Teddy smirked._

_Victoire rolled her eyes playfully, "Please, you wanted to get out of there more than I did." _

"_Maybe I did, but is it so wrong to want to spend time with my girlfriend?" he asked, his arms against the wall, cornering her. He lifted one hand off the wall and touched her cheek._

_Victoire leaned against his hand and hummed, "No." He took one last look at her intense eyes before he felt himself being pulled down by her arms. _

_Her fingers ran through his hair as he pressed even harder against her. Their tongues wrestling several times for dominance before she finally gave in and let him take over. Her lips left his for just a second to catch her breath but Teddy had taken the time to roam over her neck instead as he pressed a hot kiss right above her collar bone. He heard her moan when he released her neck and went right back to her lips. _

_His need to be closer to her made him lift her thighs onto his waist and he pushed her harder against the wall. He felt her fingers run down his back which left a tingling sensation all over his body as it was her turn to kiss his neck. "Teddy?" Victoire asked, out of breath._

"_Yeah?" Teddy asked, equally out of breath._

"_Let's not wait this long again before we meet," Victoire suggested._

"_Agreed," Teddy said before he captured her lips again._

Teddy shook his head, this was the past and he had gotten over it. His thoughts were interrupted when the bell chimed from the pub's door, signaling that someone had exited the pub. When he looked up though, he noticed that it wasn't just one person who was leaving, it looked like everyone was. Teddy watched bewilderedly at the crowd that had suddenly ran out of the pub like someone had just been killed.

When he spotted Spencer, he pulled him towards the side. "What's going on Spencer?" Teddy asked, almost worriedly.

"Bloody kids, threw a stink/dust bomb in there," Spencer said as he pulled out his wand, attempting to get rid of the rancid small but to no such luck.

Teddy looked up and saw a bunch of students laughing hysterically before freezing at the sight of Spencer giving all of them the killing look. "You're all getting detention until the end of the semester unless one of you confesses!" Spencer demanded.

"No takers? Alright. Everyone's to head back to the castle; this instant!" he added. A chorus of groans followed but no one came forward.

Spencer told Teddy that he was heading back but not before Teddy had a good laugh at his colleague's current predicament. "Yeah, laugh all you want. You'll be old and uncool someday too," he joked. Teddy chuckled heartily before leaving Spencer to discipline the students as he continued his stroll through Hogsmeade. He was originally going to stop by the Three Broomsticks for a drink but that was now out of the question. Teddy sighed. He decided to head to the sweets shop instead.

Teddy waved at the storeowner as he entered the shop. The collection of sweets was impressive which made it all the more harder to choose between. _Sweet or sour? Soft or hard? _After about ten minutes of searching, he finally settled on some chocolate frogs and licorice wands.

"Skipping the sugar quills I see," a voice from behind him said in a melodic tone.

Teddy immediately turned, his need to see if she was really there almost led him to pull a muscle. But she really was there, in the flesh, and just not some figment of the past. He couldn't help but smile when he saw her; she just had this natural aura that made everyone happy whenever they were near her.

"Not exactly good for my teeth," Teddy teased as he pointed to his tooth.

"It's good to see you Teddy," Victoire said as she hugged him. Teddy smiled, if she was able to hug him like old times, than they were friends again, sort to speak. Something that both delighted and saddened Teddy at the same time.

"How've you been Vic? How's France?" Teddy asked.

"Great," she answered. "Actually…" she started but Teddy had cut in.

"How about a visit to the old school? I know you miss it," he said as he nudged her.

Victoire chuckled, "Sure, why not."

* * *

"Wow, they gave you the nice office," Victoire said as she looked around the room.

Teddy shrugged. "Well, I am a genius potioneer. They have to give me something to keep me here and happy," he retorted cheekily.

"Well, does Mr. Genius Potioneer want to sneak me into the kitchens? I'm starving!" Victoire teased.

Teddy chortled, "Thought you'd never ask. We can't have you visit and not stop by the old elf kitchen. They'll be happy to see _Miss Sourpuss _again."

Victoire covered her face with her hand, "Do they really still say that?"

_It was the middle of Teddy's sixth year and Victoire's fourth. Teddy had noticed Victoire's increasing popularity along with the majority of girls gossiping behind her back. He wasn't particularly fond of people talking behind his friend's back but he knew better than anyone that Victoire didn't like it when someone stood up for her. Especially lately, Teddy had been noticing that whenever he took even a smidgen of a stand for her, she could turn defensive and tell him it wasn't his job to do it. "You're not my brother Teddy, I can take care of myself," Victoire would say._

_But for some reason, it angered Teddy to no end whenever someone talked about Victoire behind her back so he decided that if he wasn't allowed to protect her publicly, he would help her secretly but pulling a few pranks. He had developed a potion where if the drinker talked bad behind someone's back, their lips would pucker up to look as if they had been sucking on a lemon. That way, their lips would be too swollen to talk._

_The only problem was that the plan had some how gone wrong. He was sure he had left it in his trunk but he had searched all over the place and couldn't find it. After an hour of searching, he had resolved that it was probably a good thing he didn't go through with it, he would have surely gotten in trouble even if it would have been a good laugh. _

_By the evening, Teddy was hungry once again so he grabbed the Marauder's map and snuck into the kitchen. He was surprised when he saw Victoire already there, but then again, he wasn't really. It was their thing to meet up in the kitchen to have late night snacks and just talk but lately, she'd been avoiding him. _

"_Couldn't sleep?" Teddy smiled._

"_Nope. You?" Victoire asked._

_Very hungry," Teddy replied before taking a seat next to her. _

_They sat for a while just eating their respective desserts until Teddy asked where she was this morning. "Didn't see you this morning," he started._

_Victoire gave a nervous laugh. "What?" he asked._

"_Promise you won't tell my parents," Victoire said._

"_Really Vic? Like I would tell on you," Teddy said confidently._

"_Okay, I got really drunk yesterday at the Ravenclaw party," Victoire confessed. _

_Teddy opened his mouth to speak but decided not to. "What? Not going to say anything?" she joked._

"_I can't say I've never done it before," Teddy smirked._

_Victoire swatted him playfully before going back to her dessert. "It's just that Sarah Collins is such a two faced bitch!" she suddenly exclaimed._

"_There, I said it. That girl makes me so angry, I can't believe I had to stoop to the level of drinking to ignore her last night," she continued. _

_Teddy sat beside her laughing at her sudden proclamation. However, Teddy soon noticed that something was wrong. The more Victoire spoke about Sarah Collins, the quieter she seemed to get. Until he managed to collect himself to look at her and realized that her lips were swollen as if she had sucked on a lemon._

_He stared blankly at her before his laughter erupted once again. His laughter had been so loud that the elves came to see if something was wrong, only to discover Teddy laughing his pants off and Victoire sitting with her arms crossed, annoyed with lips the size of slugs._

"_Vic, where did you get that potion?" Teddy managed between his laughs._

_Her eyes opened wide for a second before she pointed at him angrily. "Sorry Vic, but I don't know what you're saying, you're going to have to speak up," he teased._

_Victoire launched herself at him and began punching him until the elves decided it was getting a little too violent for their tastes. "Miss Sourpuss must not harm Master Lupin," the elves chimed._

_And as if she wasn't angry enough, Teddy could see the fire igniting from her hands like she did whenever her anger had reached a boiling point. Teddy, noticing trouble quickly ushered the elves away and put on a straight face to calm his friend down._

"_Vic, calm down," he spluttered, trying hard to keep from letting a laugh slip. After he told her that it would wear off in an hour, he managed to make her extinguish the fire. But for the next hour, he was forced to look at her without laughing or face the wrath of her painful pinches._

_Teddy later learned that Victoire had thought the potion was one of his hangover potions that he kept in his trunk._

"Nah, I'm sure they've all forgotten," Teddy assured as he led her to the familiar picture with the pear that allowed itself to be tickled.

Teddy held onto his sides in an attempt to keep them from splitting, he was out of breath but that didn't stop him from laughing. He knew he should stop but Victoire didn't stop him. Instead, he watched as her lips curl into a smile and began laughing with him. The elves had certainly remembered Victoire's nickname.

"Stop it," Victoire demanded lightly after a few more minutes. Teddy coughed a few times as the laughing came to a halt.

"You should have seen the look on your face," he replied before finally settling down. His cheeks were sore but he kept smiling. He hadn't even noticed that Victoire had looked somewhat sad while they sat and had their snack.

"What is it Vic?" he asked worriedly. He'd hope she wasn't upset about him taking a mickey out of her.

Victoire shook her head, "It's nothing Teddy." Teddy frowned, he knew that look on her even if he hadn't seen her in three years or even ten years. But he knew better than to force her to tell him something she didn't want.

After a few minutes, she spoke. "I miss this," she said.

Teddy assumed it was being at Hogwarts. "If it's any consolation, it isn't all it's cracked up to be, living here for most of the year," he chuckled.

Victoire smiled but shook her head. "No, this," she said as she pointed between the two of them. "I miss us laughing about things like the nickname, I miss sitting here eating, I miss walking around with you, I miss talking to you, I miss being your friend," she finished.

Teddy's face fell, "Oh." It was true, growing up; they were best friends, almost inseparable to an extent. Even though he was two years older, they still talked whenever they could. And then when they finally got together, their relationship was even more intense, more than he had experienced with anyone else. But when they broke up, everything fell apart. It had been what they were worried about most and it had come true. They were no longer best friends.

"Well we can be friends now, right?" Teddy asked weakly.

Victoire smiled at this, "You mean it?"

Teddy smiled sadly and nodded. Victoire immediately pulled him in for a hug. He was glad that this made her happy and he would be happy; if it weren't for the fact that he wasn't really entirely over her. But then again, Teddy didn't think he'd ever be over her.

* * *

The next day, Victoire had showed up again in his office. She suggested they walk around the Black Lake like old times. _Old Times. _She seemed to talk about that a lot. The thing was, it felt like it was all in the past for her, like it was another lifetime ago.

"So when are you going back?" Teddy asked.

"That's what I wanted to tell you yesterday," Victoire started.

Teddy waited for her to continue. Victoire sighed, "This is probably going to be my last visit for a while."

"Too busy at work?" Teddy teased. He couldn't understand why she couldn't just apparate home for the holidays, she lived in Paris for Merlin sake. It was close enough to England.

Victoire shook her head. "Actually, I'm moving to America."

Teddy furrowed his brow, "Why are you moving to the States?"

"Well, Luc was offered a job there," she started.

"Who's Luc?" Teddy asked anxiously. And even though he had a pretty good idea of who the bloke was, he needed her to confirm it.

"My fiancé," she whispered without looking at him.

At that moment, Teddy felt himself short of breath, he'd suspected that she'd moved on and had a boyfriend, but a fiancé? He certainly didn't expect for her to be engaged to be married. But he decided to show a brave face, he knew it couldn't be easy for her to tell him.

Teddy placed his finger under her chin and lifted her face to look at him. "Hey, that's great. I'm happy you told me."

There were tears in her eyes but he wasn't sure if they were tears of happiness that he had given her his blessing or tears of pity for him. Either way, his throat suddenly felt unusually dry. "We should get back, it's getting late," he offered.

* * *

Teddy watched as Victoire waved goodbye for the night. They had had dinner again in the kitchens and this time, she didn't look sad. She looked happy and even told Teddy about the story of how she and Luc had met.

He couldn't sleep that night. He told himself that it was over between them, that he was okay with it all and that it was inevitable but both of them were eventually move on. And then the scene that he had buried in the back of his mind many years ago surfaced. That fateful day that Teddy had regretted for the last six years of his life.

_It had been a few months coming. Victoire had received a fellowship inviation in France for a specialization she wanted to study. She never just wanted to be good, she had always wanted to be the best. So when she was nominated to study abroad, she had been ecstatic. That is until she realized that it would be a three year study which meant three years away from Teddy. And it would be even worse than when they were at Hogwarts. Because at least at school, they had holidays, not to mention it was much closer. But the fellowship was different, it was a three year commitment that required dedication and hard work. There was no turning back if she wanted to participate in it._

_At first she openly refused to move to France for three years which was without much break. They had finally found happiness and she wasn't about to choose her career over it. But as the days wound down, Victoire was given an ultimatum from her bosses that if she didn't decide within the week, she would be looked over. And this was the opportunity of a lifetime. The days leading up to the decision to go had been filled with anxiety. They went over the pros and cons but after three days of no sleep, they were back to square one._

_Teddy could see Victoire's resolve dissolving. He could see that she really wanted to go but she didn't want to be the one to end their relationship. They weren't exactly breaking up, but Teddy knew that this would inexplicably be a large blow and would no doubt lead them to troubles ahead. And that's when he said it._

"_Vic, just go," Teddy said exhaustedly._

_Victoire threw him a fluttered look, "What? No Teddy, I haven't made my decision yet."_

"_We both know this is your dream," Teddy started._

"_So what if it's my dream. Being together with you is my dream to!" she argued._

_Teddy shook his head, "But this is your only chance."_

_Victoire grew angry, "How dare you decide for me, you have no right!"_

"_I'm just saving us the trouble," Teddy started weakly._

"_Saving the trouble of what Teddy? Saving us the trouble of breaking up later? You think that little of our relationship that you would doom us both before we even tried?" she refuted._

"_That's not what I meant," Teddy said, raising his voice a bit. She wasn't understanding that he was doing this for her own good. Of course he didn't want her to leave, but he also didn't want to be the one who held her back. She was meant for bigger things in life and he couldn't be selfish._

"_Well what did you mean? Because it sounds like you're breaking up with me and that is probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard you say," she continued._

_Teddy's face fell as he reached to touch her face, "I just don't think this will work."_

_He could feel her face burning up. She slapped his hand off of her and slapped him across the face. But he didn't react, he stood still and let her get her anger out. "You don't get to end this, I do!" she screamed as the thunder boomed outside. But she was louder._

"_Fine, than end it," he said dully. _

_He watched as she battled with herself to say something but she couldn't. So he did the only thing he could without saying much else. He walked over to the door and opened it. Her eyes followed him as he silently asked her to leave. She began crying, tears flowing down her smooth face, her eyes red. _

_Teddy knew Victoire understood what it meant and finally after a few minutes of crying, she began to step toward him near the door. Each step she took was a dagger through his heart because it meant he had managed to convince her. As she approached the door, she took one last look at him. It was no longer the look of anger, but of pleading. She was pleading for him to stop her, to take back everything they just said; but Teddy just stood there. She might have thought it had been easy for him to let her go without stopping her, but she was wrong. It was the hardest thing he ever had to do and he couldn't imagine ever doing anything that took so much of him._

_Victoire closed her eyes and Teddy watched the last tear fall from her blue eyes as she turned away and walked out the door and into the pouring rain._

* * *

Teddy stood near the window, looking out onto the quidditch field as the teams practiced. It was as normal of a day as anyone would imagine. He woke up early in the morning and had breakfast, went to teach his classes and even had a lovely chat with his colleagues about the Christmas holidays.

But it wasn't an ordinary day for Teddy. Today was going to be the day that he made his rights. And whatever happened, he was going to live with it but he knew he couldn't go on living if he didn't say it.

When the clock struck three, Teddy apparated to Shell Cottage. Her portkey was leaving at four. As soon as his feet landed on the familiar sand of the beach, he was reminded of the times they spent on it. He walked up to the homely shell covered house and knocked on the door. Teddy hoped it was her who answered the door so he wouldn't have to explain. Thankfully, after three knocks, it was Victoire who answered the door.

"Teddy?" Victoire said as she greeted him with a hug. "Come to say goodbye?" she asked carefree, unaware of the change in atmosphere that was soon to come.

Teddy smiled, "Let's go to the beach."

Victoire pushed a hair behind her ear, "Um, okay. Let me get a coat."

When they reached the beach, Victoire stopped and looked at Teddy. "What's going on Teddy?" she asked.

"I have to say something and you can't interrupt," Teddy started. As soon as he said this, he could tell that she was mentally preparing for the worst.

"I was just thinking yesterday. About that day," he started off with a chuckle.

"I was so stupid back then, you know. I mean who does that? Who let's the love of their life just walk away," Teddy continued, his voice raising.

"Teddy, don't," Victoire whispered as she clung to his coat. "Don't go there."

He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked at her, "No Vic, I have to. I have to because if I don't, I will regret it even more than that day. And you can't say anything."

"I shouldn't have given up so easily. I should have listened to you and stuck to it. Because even if that hadn't worked out, at least I wouldn't have had to lived with regret for the last six years," Teddy said.

Victoire began shaking heavily and shook her head violently. "You can't do this Teddy. You can't tell me this now. Now that I'm finally moving on. You just can't."

"Why? Because you don't want me to make it hard for you or do you really hate me that much?" Teddy argued.

"How could I ever hate you Teddy?" Victoire refuted. "You're Teddy! You're suppose to be my best friend. You were suppose to tell me that I was doing the wrong thing. You were suppose to stop me! We were suppose to be together!" she screamed as she turned away from him.

Teddy smiled sadly as he walked to her. He slowly turned her so that she was facing him again and pulled her to his body. "Stay with me, don't go," he whispered into her ear. Victoire began sobbing uncontrollably, he could feel his shirt getting wet, but it didn't matter.

"It's too late Teddy," she whispered, her voice breaking, before pushing away from him. She covered her mouth as she took a step back. She reached up to run her fingers across his face, stroking it lightly. Teddy raised his own hand and met hers. He slowly brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"I love you Vic and I always will," Teddy said softly. At this, Victoire pulled her hand away and ran back to the house.

Teddy stood there numb as he watched her figure disappear into the house, he was losing her again. After a few minutes, there was a flash and she was gone once again. Teddy checked his watch, it was four.

* * *

"Teddy, could you run outside to get some wood?" Ginny called. It was once again the Potter's turn to host the Christmas party.

"No problem," Teddy said as he pulled on his coat and hat.

"Come back quickly, dinner's almost ready!" Ginny replied. Teddy saluted before opening the door.

He walked around the back to where the wood choppings were and pulled out his wand to levitate it back to the house. It had been snowing so Teddy had once again missed the hole in the ground and tripped, resulting in the wood logs falling on him.

He must have only been out for a few minutes because no one had came to look for him yet. But surely he was imagining things. _This has got to be a dream. _

Her blonde hair draped over, slightly falling on his face as she attempted to sit him up. The smell of her made him feel euphoric, he felt as if her very essence had made his senses numb.

"Tell me you're not going to kill yourself one day from being too clumsy," she said.

"Vic?" Teddy asked, still light headed although he wasn't sure if it was the concussion or her that made him feel this way.

Her eyes began watering and before he knew it, she had pulled his face to her. When their lips finally met, it felt as if he had been dying of thirst all this time and she was his cure. He immediately pulled her closer, and although they were laying on the snow, neither of them felt cold. She bit her bottom lip as she allowed him to taste her, his lips wondering along her jaw and then her neck. He felt her bury her face in his neck as she pulled his hat off and ran her fingers through his hair. He felt so hot, he was sure the ice around them had melted into a puddle of water.

"I love you Teddy," she whispered breathlessly.

Teddy stopped his kisses and brought his eyes to look into hers. His hand that he was sure had already been frozen reached to caress her red, equally cold, face. "You're real?" he asked, almost unsure if what just had happened was just a figment of his imagination. He was sure that the day on the beach was the last time he was ever going to hold her.

"You're really here?" he asked again, disbelieving.

Victoire laughed and nodded, "It's really me."

Teddy felt his heart race in a way that had only happened six years before. He wasn't dreaming. She had came back to him.

"What made you change your mind?" he asked.

Victoire chuckled, "When I realized I never wanted to marry Luc. I might have loved him, but he was never the one I pictured in the end."

She looked into Teddy's eyes seriously, "It was always you Teddy. There was never anyone else."

"But you said it was too late," Teddy asked curiously.

Victoire smiled, "What's with all the questions?" Teddy raised his hands in defense, he wasn't going to drive her away.

She laughed again, "I didn't want you making the decision again. I needed to make it on my own time, my own terms. I had to get away and really think about what I was doing."

Teddy nodded in understanding. They sat for a while, just silently in the snow, her laying on his chest and his lips pressing onto her head.

They both eventually stood up, albeit a bit wobbly in Teddy's case. When he finally had a good look at her, he embraced her with all his might. As though to make sure she was real and that she wasn't going to run away again.

"Don't ever let me go," she said into his chest.

"I promise I won't," he replied. And he never did.


End file.
